A new kind of database to assess the environmental impact of digital technology

How can we assess the environmental impact of digital technology when the available data is often opaque, outdated, and incomplete?

The digital sector is evolving at breakneck speed. Technologies change constantly, but the tools we use to assess them aren’t always keeping up.

This is the challenge that InnoData Silicium sets out to address. Selected as part of the ECONUM call for projects launched by ADEME (ADEME stands for Agence de la Transition Écologique, which translates to the French Agency for Ecological Transition) and funded through France 2030, a strategic investment plan launched by the French government in 2021, the initiative brings together several partners committed to accelerating the ecological transition in the digital sector: Resilio, Hubblo, WeLOOP, Terra Nova Développement (TND), Etienne Lees-Perasso, and EVEA.

A concrete and ambitious objective

The goal of InnoData Silicium is clear: to build an open, coherent, updatable and interoperable Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database focused on the key components of digital technology—such as microchips, circuit boards, hard drives and display screens.

The database will be based both on scientific literature and on new laboratory analyses, ensuring a high standard of accuracy and consistency.

A shared resource for all stakeholders

The 18-month project will provide a robust, shared foundation to support decision-making for all those involved in electronics and digital technology. It is designed to complement existing resources such as ADEME’s Base Empreinte.

Official announcement from ADEME
List of selected ECONUM projects